St. David and Rocky Mount Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The St. David's Warriors will square off against the Rocky Mount Academy Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
St. David's is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of North Carolina's top teams: Halifax Academy, who was ranked fourth in their home state at the time (St. David's was ranked seventh). St. David's took a 42-35 hit to the loss column at the hands of Halifax Academy on Friday.
St. David's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Benjamin Young Iii, who rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, and Hutch Marshall, who picked up 144 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Young Iii's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 131 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mount Academy never let their opponents score on Friday. They claimed a resounding 65-0 win over Liberty Christian Academy on the road. The Eagles' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Rocky Mount Academy's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Gehrig Miller, who rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 101 yards and two touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes. Miller got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 56 yards. Cam Dawkins was another key player, rushing for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Rocky Mount Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 233 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
St. David's defeat dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Rocky Mount Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 2-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's contest: St. David's has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 353.4 total yards per game. It's a different story for Rocky Mount Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 248.3. Will St. David's be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Rocky Mount Academy flip the script?
St. David's took a serious blow against Rocky Mount Academy in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, falling 62-19. Can St. David's avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
